Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-25
GRANTED A RESPITE.
TRANS CONTINENTAL LINES GIVEN
SEVENTY-FNE DAYS TIME.

With a Suggestion that They Use it to
Construct a Satisfactory Tariff-New
Epglanders Told to wait-Expoit Re-
bates at Boston-A Permanent Policy
Promised-w Washington Items.
WASHINGTON CITY, April p AFTER an
all day secret session the Interstate com
merce commission issued orders Saturday
night suspendng the long-and- short-hanl
clause for seventy five days, pending further
investigation, upon the Northern Pacific,
Southern Pacific, Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe and st. Louis q San Francisco
railroa Is, The letter explaining this action
says that the petitions set forth state Of
| affairs which seems TO render this temporary
action imperatively necessary to avoid yio-
lent disturbance of trade. The commission
is, however, engaged upon thorough and
| careful study Of existing conditions TO ascer-
tain what its permanent policy in reference
to lifelong haul clause shall he, and
| it invites all persons Interested and possessing
pertinent Information to submit it. The
commission suggests that the period of tenn
porary exemption be employed in the forma-
| ton of Just aud reasonable schedules in
compliance with the letter and spirit of the
law construed by the railroad; The tenn
porary action taken is with a view TO obvi-
atlng mischief in the traustory period from
old methods to tie new ones required by the
| law
the commission has carefully considered
| the petitions for the continuance of the Gus
| tom of granting export rebates at Boston,
| and decides that there IS nothing in the mat
/ ter calling for action. SO lar as the former
| practice has been necessary, reasonable ami
! fair, growing out of trade necessities and in
volvlng no unjust discrimination, it can not
conflict with the law; 50 far as the petitions
call for statements by the commission as to
construction OF the words, Under like cir
cumstances and conditions" the commission
declines to take any action The railroads
must coGSirue the law Tor themselves Tie
substance OF the commissions letter is that.
so far as the rebate ~ stem has grown ont Of
the commercial necessities OF Boston, it may
be continued, aud that the roads must tax,
the responsibility for their construction OF
| the law
The commission addressed better to C. P.
| Clarke, representing the Nav England
roads, informing h!tn that the frcts that he
had not shown IN his patlttlons any pressing
| emergency stor suspension Of The long-ahd
short-haul Clause; that protest from The
Goodrich Transportation company (wateI
routel had been received and a hearing
asked against granting the pst!Ulons aui
that the rommiss ion was just on the owe nt
going south on business, consirais; "a them 10
decline AT this time to graut the petitions OF
the railways, promising 10 continue tue hear.
ing upon their return from the SoAth.
The Goodrich protest referred 10 says that
if a suspension of the claus Is graz tel the
railways will fore, the water tran,p 1rtatIou
companies 10 combine with them To keep w
the rates and share tie business, they moth
Tying the customers Of the water lines that
if they 10 not ship 10y raj! Al all tin,r,s they
will be charged the hIghcst rates when raw
CATION is closed. This mole Of proc .,llre
leaves bat one method of existence Tor the
water lines, which is Ia JON hands with the
railroads and charge s. high that they may
live even though by dividing up the busl
ness the steamer lines go half loaded.